Vacuum cleaners are typically of the upright or cylinder type. Upright vacuum cleaners generally comprise a cleaner head and a main body. The cleaner head is pivotably attached to the main body which is supported on a pair of wheels and has a handle to allow the vacuum cleaner to be manipulated by a user. The cleaner head has a housing and a suction opening is formed in the lower part of the housing facing the floor surface. A brush bar is commonly located within the suction opening in order to agitate a floor surface to improve cleaning performance. The brush bar may be driven by an air turbine which uses the airflow drawn into the vacuum cleaner via the suction opening to rotate the brush bar. Alternatively, the brush bar may be driven by an electrical motor, either by a belt attached to a main vacuum motor, or by a dedicated brush bar motor.
When a dedicated brush bar motor is used, electrical connections to the brush bar motor must be provided. However, difficulties can arise when a cleaner head is required to swivel or pivot with respect to the main body because a positive electrical connection must be maintained across the swivel or pivotable connection.
Further difficulties can arise when the electrical connection is required to be disconnectable; for example, in the case of a cleaner head which is removable from the main body of the vacuum cleaner for storage or transportation purposes. An example of a known electrical connection between a removable cleaner head and the remainder of a vacuum cleaner is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,204,297. The cleaner head has a dedicated brush bar motor and is attached to the remainder of the vacuum cleaner by a rotatable mechanical coupling. The power connector for the brush bar motor is in the form of a cable which can be disconnected separately from the mechanical coupling. Such an arrangement requires a number of steps in order to disconnect the cleaner head, which is inconvenient for a user.
An improved arrangement is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,146,283. This document discloses a powered cleaner head which is removably attachable to a main body of a vacuum cleaner. A connector is provided to attach the head to the main body. The connector has an electrical connector which connects to a corresponding electrical connector on the main body when the head is attached to the main body. A rotatable coupling is formed between the connector and the head. The rotatable coupling is spaced from the electrical connectors. Although the above arrangement is more convenient for a user to assemble than the arrangement disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,204,297, additional space is required to provide electrical connections separate from a rotatable coupling.